Un two weeks itinerary in Thailand it is like taking a dip in happiness, it is no coincidence that it is called the land of smiles, a smile that involves you, a smile that transmits serenity, a smile that will make you go home with the desire to go back to Thailand immediately.
It is true that over the years tourism has made the relationship between travelers and Thais less and less genuine, changing the ways of being of the last, but it is equally true that the soul of Thais cannot be scratched. There Northern Thailand, that of Chiang Mai for example, was much less influenced by the god of money and did not change the behavior of the Thais much.
The fact is that the two weeks in Thailand were one of the trips I remember most intensely. Between temples, nature, massages and a fabulous sea, I don't know what to choose.
A tour of Thailand in August?
August in Thailand it is not exactly the most favorable period because the monsoon period begins, but with some precautions you can avoid the rains by going to the Gulf of Thailand. Unfortunately it is not possible to include the area of the Andaman Islands with Phi Phi Island in the itinerary. For that area it is necessary to change the time of year.
Although it is not the most suitable period, it is possible to find many days of good weather. Bangkok will be humid, but that's always the case, it doesn't depend on the season. You may find some more rain in the Chiang Mai area but even in this case it is luck; in 4 days in Chiang Mai it rained only once. Anyway, the rains are fast and passing, I have been informed and there are rarely days completely marked by rain. It is also true that in Chiang Mai the rain could affect the trekking activities, but a lot on your trip to Thailand in August it won't rain! Guaranteed lemon!
Two-week itinerary in Thailand in August
THEitinerary in Thailand that I propose is rather classic, that is the first days in Bangkok, moving north to do a few days in Chiang Mai and then moving to Koh Tao for a few days of relaxation on the beach.
Here is the 2 week itinerary in Thailand
You will find a summary of my itinerary. Depending on the season in which you go, you will perfect it according to your needs. Let's say that for a trip to Thailand in August you could follow my advice, if, however, it were to be in another time of the year then you could opt to concentrate the sea on the islands of the west coast of Thailand and not in the Gulf.
1st day: completely dedicated to visit of Bangkok
Bangkok is a city that I love, some hate it, but I was impressed by it feeling of freedom that Bangkok can convey.
It is true, it is dirty, there is a lot of stink, there is too much traffic, there is confusion… all true! But I don't know why I still love this city. Obviously I'm talking about “little drops of Bangkok”, I too would struggle for more than three days. The fact is that spend a few days between the elegance of the various Wat, the Grand Palace and the gods one thousand omnipresent Buddhas it is absolutely unmissable. Another experience not to be missed is to climb the Lebua to admire Bangkok with the evening dress, nothing more romantic and fascinating, from up there it seems that Bangkok is completely different from what you can see on the "ground floor".
2nd day: excursion to old capital Ayutthaya on the train
In the two weeks in Thailand, visit the old capital is one of the things you absolutely must do! The town of Ayutthaya is not far from Bangkok and can be seen on a day trip as in my case.
I organized myself with a local train with practically no ticket cost. Very few baths for an authentic third class trip immersed in the daily life of the Bangkok suburbs. Once in Ayutthaya you can decide to visit it on foot (not recommended), by bike (semi-recommended) or with the local Tuk Tuk (recommended), negotiating the price. Surely this last option allows you to save goat and cabbage, that is to optimize the time available to you more and enjoy the beauty of Ayutthaya.
3rd day: always Bangkok + transfer to Chiang Mai by Vip Night Bus
My Thai itinerary included another day in Bangkok and in the early evening the Vip Bus to go to the north of Thailand to the city of Chiang Mai. The travel by Vip Bus it is one of the experiences I remember most with a smile on my trip to Thailand. An almost empty bus whizzing through the rain, in the darkest darkness possible. Arrival in Chiang Mai is scheduled for the morning of the following day.
Alternatively, you might consider inserting an intermediate stop for visit Sukhothai which is more or less on the road to Chiang Mai.
An advice: if you want, both for any travel in Asia, you can refer to this search form… very useful.
From 4th to 7th day: visit Chiang Mai + excursion to Doi Suthep on your own
I would say Chiang Mai is the pearl of the North.
Virtually almost every itinerary in Thailand spend at least a day in this city. You want it because it is much more liveable than Bangkok, you want because numerous excursions and activities to do in the nearby mountains leave from here, or because the Golden Triangle is just a few hours by bus, Chiang Mai has become a landmark.
In my opinion it is a beautiful little town and allows you to stay even 3/4 days without ever getting bored. It has the slower rhythms of Bangkok, you can do all the massages you want at a very low cost, you can go trekking in the mountains or visit the elephant recovery centers, you can take Thai cooking classes and learn how to make a pad thai perfect, because the first pad thai is never forgotten eh!
In the evening you can't get bored at Night bazaar, always alive and with a thousand things to buy, and if it happens on a Saturday as it happened to me, there will also be the Saturday Night Market which is even more experienced than the Night Bazaar. In short, Chiang Mai must be a fixed stop on an itinerary in Thailand!
Day 7: Transfer to Koh Samui by AirAsia combined flight to Koh Samui
Transfer day, after the heat and chaos of Bangkok, after the peace and alternative activities of Chiang Mai, I had decided, and I highly recommend it, to conclude the two weeks in Thailand by the sea. The choice of which sea, as I had anticipated, depends on the period in which you will visit Thailand. If you choose August, you can only go to the Gulf of Thailand and decide for an island between Koh Samui, Koh Tao or Koh Phangan. If, on the other hand, you go in the Spanish winter period, then you will have the opportunity to move to the Andaman Sea.
In any case, from Chiang Mai there are combined solutions both towards the Gulf of Thailand and towards Pucket and Krabi. You have both options.
The flight is combined, that is, it consists of an airplane flight, bus to the ferry departure and a ferry to Koh Samui. From Koh Samui to Koh Tao there are several ferries that connect the two islands every day.
From 8th to 14th day: from Koh Samui to Koh Tao and relax in Koh Tao e Koh nang yuan
The Gulf Sea is not as beautiful as that of the western part of Thailand, but there are still some beaches like that of Koh nang yuan which are real gems and are truly spectacular. If you want to snorkel this is the ideal post, a Koh Tao snorkeling and diving are almost a religious faith, there are many organized tours that go around the island and make tourists stop at the most suitable points for snorkeling.
Also, Koh Tao is one of the places on the planet where the most is done diving licenses. There are many diving schools. This means that the island is "populated" especially by young people and it is pleasant to spend the evenings listening to music on the sofas facing the sea. This is the part of the itinerary in Thailand where relaxation prevails.
- Day 14: Return to Bangkok Bangkok via a combined Lomprayah + return flight from the main Bangkok airport
This is the day of the hated return to Western rhythms, in my case I left directly from Koh Tao to return to Bangkok. The journey is long because it involves the ferry and then 10 hours by bus to get to the city, then again a taxi and airport city link to get to the airport.
Conclusions on a trip to Thailand
Two weeks in Thailand are ideal for being able to understand Asia a little, although I admit that the more time passes, the more Thais are changing their way of life adapting it to the needs of the average tourist. In this way, in the long run you will lose that originality and that disinterested smile that Thailand has become famous for.
So, before it's too late, get to know this beautiful country!
